Simply stated, site selection is choosing a location for an anticipated use.
In the context of enterprise and economic development, which is defined by clicking on the page header above, site selection projects are components of enterprise development projects. Site selection projects are the work of searching, analyzing, and choosing.
The site selection process is location work. Other ways of referring to the work as projects are, for example, facilities location or site location. In any case, the process is one of choosing a place to start up an entrepreneurial venture or to expand or relocate ongoing enterprise operations, such as that of a fast growing company.
Site selection in five basic steps:
Site and location are interchangeable when referring to a geography or an economy. Either of the two might also be used to refer only to a real estate site, such as a greenfield site, or a property, such as an available building. Here in this website, Site Location Assistance.com, and throughout The Network, site and location are meant to tate into consideration what surrounds real estate that affects its usefulness for the anticipated purpose. Commercial and industrial real estate is typically within reach of, if not enveloped by, communities and markets, both of which are important for enterprise development that leads to economic development throughout the world.
Economic development is often written about in such a way as to define its close relationship to site selection. For example, in setting forth its Site Selection Data Standards, the International Economic Development Council asks the following question:
Have you ever wondered what a site selection consultant looks for in determining what communities to recommend to their client? (source of quote).
Economic development practitioners are in the business of positioning communities so that they can attract the attention of site selection consultants as well as others who might either control or influence the work of searching for locations. The IEDC question is followed by an article indicating that places seeking economic development … need reliable, comprehensive data that can be quickly provided to corporate location professionals. The article goes on to state that IEDC member practitioners … working collaboratively with corporate relocation professionals have devised a comprehensive site selection data template to guide communities with data collection, analysis and delivery. The end goal: to adopt the template as the industry standard for the site selection process (source of quotes).
Location data is offered to site selectors through the websites of places seeking enterprise and economic development. For example, the site selection section of the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development website states that its staff … will analyze the factors affecting a company’s investment decision including taxes, human resources, training and workforce development, incentives, financing, utilities, permits, and specific real estate opportunities available (source of quote). Location profiles are available online. Many economic development websites list various location data elements with links so that site selectors can select what they want. Prospects can request location packages. The example California agency website provides a Site Selection Worksheet that is confidential.
Confidentiality is a site selection consideration. See meaning of loose lips sink ships.
Specialized magazine have contributed to the site selection process by reporting on enterprise and economic development activities as well as commercial and industrial real estate developments. Their economic development advertisers are location data suppliers for the most part. Ads are on the paper pages and websites of the magazines.
One magazine may have given site selection its identity—see the answer to the question: Who first brought site selection and economic development together? The magazine, Site Selection, is touted as a publication of … corporate real estate strategy and area economic development (source of quote).
A similar publication, Area Development, is a … magazine covering corporate site selection and relocation. (source of quote). Both Area Development and Site Selection make useful informational resources available to economic development prospects.
The contact directories that they publish online can be accessed through Site Location Assistance.com by searching for them by name. They can also be accessed by searching for the magazine names in the Global Registry of Contacts—a resource which has enhanced site selection usefulness because its combined with other free access online directories.
ACCESS a glossary of phrase terms that begin with the word site
ACCESS Site Selection in the Enterprise & Economic Development Library
ACCESS the .network user guide: Search for a Location.
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